Govt set to review ZFA constitution

The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, SMZ, has come into conclusion to make a thorough review of the football association's constitution.

The move has been announced by the Deputy Minister for Information, Tourism, Culture and Sports, Bihindi Ali Hamad, when he was responding to a query posed by the Rahaleo member of the House of Representatives, Nassor Salim Ali, during a session currently going on at Chukwani Zanzibar yesterday.

He said the constitutional review has been underway by the registrar of sports with a view to iron out discrepancies that has been haunting the football association.

The deputy minister said once the job is complete then a possible relief is expected.

He said the current constitution has a lot of pot holes which constitutes to the falling standard of football in Zanzibar.

Hamad told House of Representatives here that the constitution in use has been breeding a number of conflicts and account for the biggest part of football downfall across the Island.

“The registrar of sports has started to work on the amendments in the constitution and upon completion we expect to have a refined one that would meet the satisfaction of the football fraternity here,” said the deputy minister.

In a related development, the deputy minister confirmed an existing binding cooperation between the Isles Sports Council and the Zanzibar Football Association.

The chairperson of the sports council has been providing consultancy services in reviewing all contractual agreements the ZFA has been making with a number of sponsors.

Hamad said the ministry has been taking bold steps to assist the ZFA in looking for sponsors who would help in supporting the premier soccer league.

Hamad categorically declared that most of the soccer stakeholders throughout the Zanzibar Islands, including President Ali Mohamed Shein, are not happy with the down falling standard of the game.

Lack of premiership sponsorship has been largely contributing the uprising of conflicts in the football game.

However, he urged business community and other stakeholders to support the development of football so as to raise the standard.

“We can not keep mum and let the situation deteriorate as this would eventually backfire to us,” said the deputy minister.

Hamad confirmed to the House of Representatives that the situation within the ZFA has drastically improved after Government intervention in recent months.

“We are still working hard to iron out some differences within the ZFA secretariat with an absolute target of improving our standard of soccer,” said the deputy minister.

The current ZFA leadership has been capitalizing on the constitutional flaw to stay in power for decades now.